Mega cities! They now exist on every continent except Australia. The attraction are employment and educational opportunities and access to resources like health care and entertainment.
The downside is the cost of living, over-crowding and the potential for the rapid spread of disease. The latter has been in evidence since the great plagues of the middle ages that halved populations in many cities. That’s now reinforced by COVID-19.
But in countries like China, India and Nigeria, the poor flock to cities in search of a better life. Delhi’s population has swelled 38.1% in the last 10 years. Shanghai has increased 35.4% and San Pauli, Brazil, by 12.1%.
In comparison, the world’s largest mega city, Tokyo, has grown just 1.5%. This can be attributed to overall average affluence and a falling population.
If you want to dig deeper, head to The Visual Capitalist – a great resource for data on a huge range of topics.
